. >> towards the vatican and the secrets held within. the tourists focus on the sites. behind them, behind the stunning facades officials are already planning for the appointment of a new pope, a new leader for more than 1 billion of the world's inhabitants. pope benedict will leave his position at the end of february. the process of electing the next pope starts on march the third. by easter they want their new leader in place. >> the inner workings of the vatican are obscure and hidden, yet what happens inside this church has a profound impact around the world. the next pope's stance on issues like contraception, abortion, the right of women to become priests has an affect not just on the 1.3 billion catholics of the world, and also to a certain extent affects all of us. >> most of the cardinals were appointed by benedict. who could take over? perhaps it is time for the first african leader? almost half of catholics select an american. the archbishop of sao paulo is the front runner. others mention a canadian, a traditionalist like benedick, but in the modern era all